Loom binder adjusting mechanism



Oct. 18, 1960 w. A SHERWOOD LOOM BINDER ADJUSTING ME CHANISM INVENTORSBY ZTTORNEYS Filed March 27, 1959 2,956,591 Patented Oct, 18, 19602,956,591 LOOM BINDER ADJUSTWG MECHANISM Walter A. Sherwood, Hempstead,N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Chandler Evans Corporation,West Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 27, 1959,Ser. No. 802,455

Claims. (Cl. 139-185) This invention relates to loom binder adjustingmechanism, and particularly to such mechanism for adjusting the positionof a movable part of the shuttle box, constituting a binder, so as tostop the shuttle accurately in a desired position in the box.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a means for manuallyadjusting the binder while the loom is in operation in order to permitcontinuous observation of the results of the adjustment while it isbeing made.

The adjusting mechanism is shovm herein as designed for use incooperation with a hydraulic shuttle check, such as the check shown anddescribed in Sherwood Patent No. 2,818,884, issued January 7, 1958, bymeans of which the entire deceleration of the shuttle may be effectedfrictionally.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of the shuttle box, adjustable binderand check, parts being in horizontal section and parts being brokenaway;

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section, taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1,parts being shown in elevation and parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section, taken on the line IIIIII of Fig.1; and

Fig. 4 represents a detail perspective View of the slidable adjustingplatform and its ramp.

Referring to the drawings, the shuttle box is shown as comprising afloor plate 1, a leather-faced fixed binder 2 and a movable binder 3pivotally mounted on the bolt 4. Said bolt may be simply screwed intothe floor plate 1 but is preferably caused to pass through holes in thebracket 5 and land 6 projecting from a fixed side plate 7 which is, inturn, secured to the floor plate 1. The shuttle box is shown as being ofthe stationary type, securely mounted on the loom frame, part of whichis indicated at 8. The side plate 7 is cut away, at least in the regionspaced from the bolt mounting brackets, to permit cooperation of thehead 38 of a hydraulic check 30 with the movable binder 3, the preferredtype of check being shown and described in Patent No. 2,818,884,mentioned above.

The movable binder 3 is shown (Fig. 3) as having a generally T-shapedcross-section, the main body portion 9 lying vertically and being facedwith a leather covering 10 on its working surface and reinforced by ahorizontally projecting rib 11 on its back surface. At the pivot end therib is thickened as indicated at 12, and at the opposite end (nearestthe picker 13) there is provided a more or less rectangular block 14 thevertical dimension of which corresponds to that of the body portion 9and the horizontal dimension perpendicular to the plane of said portionbeing approximately that of the rib 11.

The rib 1-1 is cut away adjacent the block 14 to provide a ramp 15 whichslants, in a horizontal plane, from a maximum spacing nearest the block14 to a minimum spacing farthest from said block, considered withrespect to the working face of the binder. The block 14 is traversedhorizontally by a bore 16 the axis of which lies in the vertical planeof the ramp 15 but at a level midway between the lower surface of therib 11 and the bottom plane of the binder, the bore being preferablyenlarged slightly at its end nearer the ramp to form an annular shoulder17.

A platform 18, preferably in the form of a solid rectangular block, isprovided with a groove 19 of varying depth and of a size to receive theramp 15 with a free sliding fit, the groove being deepest at the end ofthe platform toward the block 14 and shallowest at the opposite end. Theplatform 18 is also traversed by a threaded bore 20, the axis of whichcorresponds to the axis of the bore 16 when the platform is fitted onthe ramp with the ramp filling the groove 19. The vertical surface 21 ofthe platform lies approximately perpendicular to the axis of the check30 and is of such length that it can be contacted by the head 38 of suchcheck in any position of the platform on the ramp.

The platform is designed to be operated by means of a screw 22 having athreaded end engaging the threaded bore 20, an annular shoulder 23adapted to fit freely against the shoulder 17 in the enlarged end of thebore 16 and to serve as a stop, and a small diameter end 24 adapted tofit in the bored stem 25 of a turning knob 26 where it may be pinned,screwed or otherwise firmly fixed. The stem 25 is provided also with anenlarged bore 27 to receive a spring 28 which is compressed between thestem and a side of the block 14, thus holding the shoulder 23 againstthe shoulder 17. From this de scription it will be apparent that theturning of the knob 26 also turns the screw 22 engaging the platform,which is thus moved along the ramp toward or away from the block 14. Theslope of the ramp, corresponding to the varying depth of the groove 19,causes the platform to act as a wedge, holding the movable binder 3, inthe atrest position of the check, at distances from the fixed binder 2which are determined by the position of the platform on the ramp. Forexample, referring to Fig. 1, when the platform is moved toward the leftthe spacing between the binders is enlarged and when the platform ismoved toward the right the spacing is narrowed.

It is the aim of the operator to have the binders arrest the flight ofthe shuttle S at a point just short of the picker face in its retractedposition (so that the picker may not have to absorb any of the shock ofstopping the shuttleor at least any substantial part of such shock). Thehydraulic check of Patent No. 2,818,884, operating through the bindersshown in said patent, and stop the shuttle very accurately at a desiredpoint according to the initial adjustment of the check and under theconditions existing when such initial adjustment is made. However, theconditions start changing the instant the loom is put in operation: theleather facings start to become worn and/ or polished, the temperaturesof the mechanical parts and of the hydraulic fluid tend to vary, thetotal weight of the shuttle and its load varies constantly, the drag ofthe yarn may vary, and the ambient temperature and humidity cannotreadily be maintained constant. The interaction of such variables may,fortuitously, permit satisfactory operation of the binders forsubstantial periods of time, but, on the other hand, it is much morelikely that inaccurate stopping of the shuttle will be observed quiteearly in its operation. With the provision of the adjusting means shownand described herein, optimum operation can be assured constantly on apurely empirical basis; the operator need not consider why the shuttlestarts to show tendencies toward short or long stopping, but can observethe operation from time to time and correct any such tendencies as soonas they appear, merely by turning the knob 26 one way or the other untilthe shuttle is again stopping at the proper point. Since the adjustmentcan be effected in a second or two, it is quite unimportant whether thechanging conditions require corrections to be made every few minutes orWhether the operation can be stabilized for hours at a time. Theoperation of the loom is not interrupted, the result of the adjustmentcan be instantly and continuously observed, and better boxing of theshuttle is achieved, with increased binder and picker life.

The planes of the ramp-engaging bottom of the groove 19 and the surface21 (the effective surfaces of the wedge-like element) are disposed sonearly perpendicular to the direction of outward movement of the binder3 against the check head 38 that the component of force perpendicular tosaid direction is insuflicient to overcome the friction of the platformagainst the ramp and check head, hence the wedge-like platform has notendency to be displaced from its adjusted position. Additionally, theadjusting screw 22 is restrained from free turning by the engagement ofthe shoulder 23 against shoulder 17 under the force of spring 28.

While the adjusting mechanism is referred to as being used with astationary shuttle box, fixed to the loom frame, it will be understoodthat it could also be used advantageously in connection with a shuttlebox mounted on the lay; in that case, however, the adjustment of thescrew would normally require temporary stoppage of the loom.

Since looms vary considerably in their structural details and mayinclude parts or auxiliary mechanisms in the vicinity of the shuttleboxes which will require detail changes in the form, construction andarrangement of the binders, it must be recognized that the binders andadjusting mechanism shown and described herein are of a simple and basicnature, subject to change in details as may be required by theirenvironment without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What we claim is:

1. A loom binder adjusting mechanism comprising, a movable binderpivotally mounted at one end and having a working surface adapted toconstitute one side of a shuttle box, resilient check means adapted torestrict outward movement of said binder, a wedge-like elementinterposed between said binder and said check means and carried by saidbinder intermediate the ends thereof, and adjusting means located at theopposite end of the binder from its pivot end and adapted to slide saidwedge-like element longitudinally of said binder.

2. A loom binder adjusting mechanism according to claim 1 in which themovable binder is provided with a ramp having a surface located atprogressively varying distances from the working surface of the binder,and in which the wedge-like element is slidably mounted on said ramp.

3. A loom binder adjusting mechanism according to claim 2 in which theramp-engaging and check-engaging surfaces of the wedge-like element lieso nearly perpendicular to the direction of outward movement of themovable binder against the check that the components of friction betweenthe ramp, the wedge-like element and the check are greater than thecomponent of force acting on said Wedge-like element perpendicular tosaid direction and resulting from the wedge-like form of said element.

4. A loom binder adjusting mechanism according to claim 1 in which themovable binder is provided with a horizontal longitudinal rib, at leastpart of which constitutes a ramp having a surface located atprogressively varying distances from the working surface of the binder,in which the wedge-like element is slidably mounted on said ramp and inwhich the adjusting means includes a manually operable screw engagingthe wedge-like element.

5. A loom binder adjusting mechanism according to claim 4 in which thewedge-like element is provided with a threaded bore the axis of which isparallel to said surface of said ramp and in which the manually operablescrew engages said threaded bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,506,914 Mathieson Sept. 2, 1924 2,234,597 Holmes Mar. 11, 1941

